External Intervention: The Compromise of Sovereignty
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Authors
Shai Curtiss
Issue Date
2026
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Abstract
This paper is a critical analysis of external intervention’s effect on sovereignty in international relations, with a focus on Haiti. State sovereignty, a defining pillar of statehood, has been increasingly challenged by United Nations (UN) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) involvement in Haiti’s domestic affairs following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. While external intervention is often intended to provide aid and stability, it can undermine a state’s autonomy and worsen existing political crises. In Haiti’s case, UN involvement has compromised sovereign governance while failing to resolve instability. Haiti is currently experiencing a severe power vacuum marked by the absence of a legitimate central authority, widespread gang control of the capital, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis, raising serious questions about its ability to function as a sovereign state. This paper evaluates UN intervention through an analysis of the Multinational Security Support missions authorized in 2023 and reworked in 2025, as well as the formation of the Transitional Presidential Council. Particular attention is given to how the requirement that transitional leaders adhere to UN Resolution 2699 constrains independent decision-making and limits sovereign autonomy. Additionally, the paper examines how the voluntary and under-resourced nature of UN intervention, combined with structural limitations within the UN General Assembly and Security Council, contributed to the failure of the 2023 mission and raises concerns for the effectiveness of the 2025 plan. Ultimately, this paper argues that external intervention by the United Nations and other actors has complicated Haiti’s pursuit of self-governance and stability, undermining sovereignty without delivering meaningful support.